When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer (Golden Kite Honors (Awards)) (2004)

By adding his illustrations to a classic poem, Long creates a beautiful picture book for young readers. Young children might struggle with the poem and its meaning if read by itself. Long's illustrations fill in the story line and students are able to grasp the meaning behind the poetry. This is a great book to read to students when studying poetry and visual representation. Sometimes, "Imagination is more important than Knowledge" - Albert Einstein ( )

A little boy found himself fascinated with astronomy while looking at proofs and figures at a museum. However, when he sat down in a room and heard the astronomer lecture, he found himself bored and began to wander. He wandered outdoor and dreamed while looking at the stars in sky. ( )

Adults will love to read this favorite poem to all children who dream of planets, stars and the universe they live in; Illustrations walk reader into childhood world. ( )

Whitman, Walt, and Loren Long. When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer. New York: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, 2004. Print.

In the book, “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer”, illustrator, Loren long has taken some of Walt Whitman’s classic poem, “Leaves of Grass” and has applied it as the words for this stunning picture book. The poem as it exists in “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” is about a young boy who accompanies his parents to a lecture about astronomy, which he’s firstly fascinated by. However soon it all becomes too much for him, so he escapes to the night outside, and appreciates the magic and beauty of the stars for himself. Long’s beautiful, vivid paintings, all of which have a darkness to them, suit the astronomy/space theme. Also the childlike art work, (drawn by Long’s 2 young sons), that appears throughout the book is really effective, as I think they add to the fact that the poem is told through a child’s eyes. “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” is suitable for the ages of about 4 to 9.

“When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” is an 8 lined lyric poem, written in free verse. The rhythm of the poem is evident through Whitman’s use of anaphora, as the first 4 lines all begin with the word, “When” (Whitman). For me this type of repetition portrays the rigid, academic environment of the lecture building.

“When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” also repeats similar sounds, “heard”, “learn'd”, “heard”; “lectured”, “room”, “soon”, etcetera (Whitman). In addition to this Whitman uses a bit of alliteration in the last 2 lines of the poem; “mystical moist…silence at the stars” (Whitman). I think these techniques add to the rhythm of the poem, particularly when read aloud. I also feel that they contribute to the emotional intensity of the poem. Whitman doesn’t apply any extraneous words.

The sensory image of sight is portrayed a couple of times in “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer”. One example is: “Look'd up in perfect silence at the stars” (Whitman). I think this image depicts the boy’s fascination with what he’s looking at, especially with the use of the words, “perfect silence” (Whitman). Consequently I think that the quality of imagination in the poem is of a high standard because this line shows that it’s as if the boy is looking at the night sky in a fresh, new way.

As far as imagery goes, “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” only contains a bit of personification. One example is: “mystical moist night-air” (Whitman). I think with some explanation, children would appreciate and understand the meaning of this line.

I feel that the tone of “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” is genuine, as it’s told in the first person, through the eyes of a boy. An example of the text is: “When I was shown the charts, the diagrams” (Whitman).

I believe that this book’s format of “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” is appropriate for children. This is mainly because of the help of Long’s realistic illustrations, which depict what’s going on in the text beautifully. Therefore I think most children will enjoy this book. However I believe that without the pictures, a majority of younger children would struggle with the meaning of the poem’s words.

I think the fact that there’s only one line of writing on a majority of the pages where the text appears in the book, “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer”, would also contribute to a child’s understanding of the meaning of the words. As well as this in my opinion, this kind of simplicity underlines the beauty and mystique of astronomy, which I feel is the whole purpose of the poem. Thus in the poem, the boy leaves the lecture building, and all of its academic jargon to experience the magnificence of the universe for himself. Consequently I feel this book successfully relates the meaning of the poem to its intended audience. ( )

In this lovely, simple book, Loren Long brings vivid back-story to Walt Whitman's poem. In vibrant reds and oranges tempered with muted navy hues, Long tells the story of a small boy in an uncomfortable suit, who comes with his parents to a grand lecture hall to hear an academic speak. Escaping from the crowds, he and his toy rocket ship make their way out of the auditorium to look at the stars . . . and imagine. ( )